Resources for Fatherless Issues

What does it mean to be Fatherless?

Fatherlessness is the state of having no father or no fatherly influence. It can take many forms including the literal absence of a father or the lack of the proper role of a father in person’s life due to abandonment, adoption, child abuse, death, emotional neglect, imprisonment, substance abuse and many others.

“Despite voices and debates about the appropriateness of having children raised by gays and lesbians through adoption, it appears that our culture may be headed in that direction. This will definitely open the door to new research in the psychological effects. However, a review of the long established research on the importance and need for both a mother and a father and the different roles they play in the development of a child will undoubtedly stand the test of time. The design of our Creator was purposeful and should not be altered.”

What are the Consequences of Fatherlessness?

Without question, children are significantly affected on all levels due to the lack of a father in their lives. They suffer emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually. Children from fatherless homes are more susceptible to poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, physical and emotional health issues, lower educational achievement, problems with the law, higher sexual activity and teen pregnancy. Fatherless children often have deep issues with trust which prevents them from not only being unable to form healthy relationships, but also from seeing God as a loving Father who wants to heal and restore them.

According to the National Center For Fathering, “Adolescent females between the ages of 15 and 19 years reared in homes without fathers are significantly more likely to engage in premarital sex than adolescent females reared in homes with both a mother and a father.”

“A survey of 720 teenage girls found: 97% of the girls said that having parents they could talk to could help reduce teen pregnancy; 93% said having loving parents reduced the risk; 76% said that their fathers were very or somewhat influential on their decision to have sex.”

“In a study using a national probability sample of 1,636 young men and women, it was found that older boys and girls from female-headed households are more likely to commit criminal acts than their peers who lived with two parents.”